Human trafficking syndicated crime in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD – Officials of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has said that illegal immigration and human trafficking in Pakistan is a syndicated crime, which is executed with the active connivance of agents, and other stakeholders involved in this illegal trade.

They said the central Punjab was the hub of this illegal activity, especially Gujranwala, Gujrat and Sialkot districts.

The officials said this here on Thursday while addressing a seminar on “Using border security technologies to combat human smuggling.”

Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said that the Government of Pakistan was wholeheartedly committed to combat human trafficking and for this purpose the government has chalked out an action plan which includes legislation to combat human trafficking, capacity building of immigration, police and National Alien Registration Authority (NARA).

In addition to these steps, he said, government has established national database registration authority (Nadra) to prevent forgeries in National Identity Cards, Machine Readable Passports (MRPs), poverty alleviation programme, micro finance credit schemes to generate employment opportunities and interaction with other friendly countries to counter human trafficking.

Officials of the FIA argued that factors leading to the illegal immigration are recession in economy and sharp rise in population, subsisting below poverty line, low wages with high inflation rate, making the basic necessities of life beyond the reach of people belonging to low income groups, high rate of unemployment in educated youths, astronomical difference in wages between the developing and the developed countries and lack of effective checking on Afghan and Iranian borders.

They said that the government was contemplating to make bilateral agreements between Pakistan and other countries for providing relief to the Pakistani victims of human trafficking abroad.

They said a mechanism for communication and exchange of information between government agencies and NGOs is being developed. A mechanism for assistance and reintegration of victims in the society is also being introduced with mutual co-ordination of the ministry of labour and manpower, ministry of women development and law enforcement agencies.

The seminar sponsored by Unisys Corporation was also addressed by the regional representatives of UNHCR, UNICEF, IOM and Dick Tilley, Vice President and General Manager of multinational Unisys Corporation.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:10/1/2004